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The first group of a Cuban rescue brigade arrived in Venezuela this Sunday to assist with search and rescue operations in the areas devastated by the earthquakes from last Tuesday, June 24, the most destructive recorded in the country since 1900.
The contingent was received upon arrival by the Venezuelan Deputy Minister for Latin America, Mauricio Rodríguez, the Cuban ambassador Jorge Mayo Fernández, and other authorities, according to reported an official Cuban source.
The rescue team arrives to strengthen the already active Cuban Medical Brigade in Venezuela, which has collaborators distributed across all 24 states of the country and was mobilized after the earthquakes to assist the injured in the Comprehensive Diagnostic Centers.
The Cuban Medical Brigade in Venezuela reported on Facebook about the arrival of the contingent and stated: "In a moment of deep unity, we warmly welcome the Special Brigade for Rescue and Salvage coming from our beloved Cuba."
Additionally, he emphasized that "they are immediately joining the rescue efforts on the ground, contributing their hands and experience to the efforts to protect every Venezuelan family."
The earthquakes that prompted the deployment occurred on Tuesday, June 24, when two tremors with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 shook northern Venezuela with only 39 seconds in between, with epicenters in Yaracuy state that caused the collapse of more than 100 buildings in La Guaira and Caracas.
The official balance as of Saturday, June 27 amounted to 1,430 deceased, over 3,360 injured, and approximately 54,000 missing according to UN estimates, with at least 300 aftershocks recorded since the main event.
The international response has been massive: more than 1,600 rescuers from 16 countries have been deployed in Venezuelan territory, including teams from the United States, Spain, Peru, Switzerland, Germany, Colombia, and Mexico, among others.
The arrival of Cuban specialists in search and rescue expands the role of the Cuban regime in the emergency beyond medical assistance, in a context where at least 30 Cubans remain missing under the rubble in areas such as Caraballeda, Catia La Mar, and Los Corales, in the state of La Guaira.
Among the documented cases is a family of six members—Alain Rodríguez Rojas, Yadina de la Caridad Yáñez, Teresa Rojas Rodríguez, Raudel Diosdado Rodríguez, Dylan Xander Rodríguez Yáñez, and Gladys María Padrón—whose search continues without results this Sunday.
The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated this Sunday that it has no official confirmation of affected nationals, contradicting the evidence documented by citizen platforms such as "Encuéntralos" and independent media.
Meanwhile, Abel Prieto, an advisor to the regime and president of the Casa de las Américas, took the opportunity to attack the humanitarian deployment of the United States with a post on social media: "Humanitarian 'Rambos'? Who knows? Our full solidarity with the brotherly people of Venezuela. Cuban doctors are there, saving lives, on the front lines."
The number of fatalities could continue to rise as rescue efforts proceed, with tens of thousands of people still reported missing beneath the rubble.
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